The Castle Point Plan will set out the framework and policies for place-making in Castle Point, ensuring that the needs of each of the four settlements of Canvey Island, Hadleigh, South Benfleet and Thundersley are addressed whilst protecting what is special about the character of those places. It will be underpinned by thematic strategies which deliver both the spatial requirements of the plan, and those non-spatial measures which will also be necessary to help the borough’s communities and places to thrive.

The plan will set out a vision and strategy to 2050. However, it will be adaptive to deal with the inevitable changes that will occur over a 25-year period. This means that it will include a monitoring framework so that both the Council and the community and other stakeholders will know when it is time to review the plan and the proposals within it. The Castle Point Plan will be developed over the period to 2050 in conjunction with the community, with local businesses, with delivery partners and with other stakeholders. Engagement forms a significant component of the programme.

When the Council is not asking people their views, it is intended that the engagement will continue through the Council providing feedback on what it is doing in response to the issues that have been raised. It is intended that the Castle Point Plan will be a widely accessible document with an associated web resource. It is also the Council’s intention to develop its evidence in a way which is accessible and capable of interrogation by people from all walks of life, so that as many people as possible can engage in the development of the local plan and the debate around options that arise.